Common Ground Paved Over Differences

This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes", March 25, 2004, that has been edited for clarity.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Well, the election countdown continues here on Fox. There are now 222 days until Americans go to the polls to pick a president.

Meanwhile, it wasn't long ago that Howard Dean had some not so nice things to say about party rival John Kerry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John Kerry won New Hampshire and Iowa, saying he was going to get rid of the special interests. Last weekend, the "Washington Post" and "Newsweek" ran articles showing that he had taken more special interests than any other senator in the last 15 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLMES: Well, today, Dean was telling a very different story, endorsing Kerry for president and promising to join forces to oust President Bush from office. Here's more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: It is generation Dean voting for John Kerry for president of the United States that's going to send George Bush back to Crawford, Texas, where he belongs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLMES: So is a Dean endorsement really a mixed bag for John Kerry? Joining us now, New York Congressman Greg Meeks.

Congressman, good to have you with us.

You know, they want to focus on what divides Democrats. They want to divide and conquer.

Howard Dean was very clear in an interview to me last week when he said, "Look, during the primary, you focus on what divides you from the other Democrats. Republicans do the same thing."

Clearly he has more in common with John Kerry than he has that's different. And that's the whole key in terms of primary versus general election.

REP. GREG MEEKS (D), NEW YORK: Absolutely. And the Democratic campaign that we tried to highlight the differences between the two, just as you said.

Then you come together, because in the Democrat tent, we're a big tent D. Now, you have individuals who have various beliefs, but in the end there's more that unites us than separates us.

COLMES: Let's...

MEEKS: ... monolithic.

COLMES: There are differences between John Kerry and Howard Dean. They represented different kinds of candidacies. There are the Deaniacs, some of whom are not Kerry supporters.

There are clearly differences just as there was between John McCain and George W. Bush in the year 2000.

MEEKS: Absolutely. And I'll tell you ... what George Bush did to John McCain in the year 2000, I'm surprised that they're even talking today.

But you know, what's great about the Democratic Party is that we're not monolithic. We are different. And the Republican Party is only one note. They just step in one step. There's no difference of thought. They're all are to the extreme right.

COLMES: By the way...

MEEKS: Fortunately, the Democratic Party, we represent America.

COLMES: John Kerry has a lot in common with Dick Cheney, by the way. Because we talk about weapons system being cut. There was a Cold War benefit that everybody talked about.

Dick Cheney talked about cutting the V-22 Ospry and the F-14D, the B-2 from 70 planes to 20. He had a list of cuts. George Bush 41 talked about all the cuts in his second State of the Union address, his last one as president.

So when you want to accuse Kerry of cutting defense, Cheney and Bush 41 did the same thing at a different time, years ago.

MEEKS: Well, you know what, Alan? The key here is when you've been president for three and a half years and your record has nothing to show for it, then what you try to do is character assassinate other individuals.

And that's all that you're hear hearing right now is character assassination...

HANNITY: Congressman.

MEEKS: ... on behalf of the Republican Party. When you have nothing else to do, that's what you do.

HANNITY: It's good to see you, my friend. Thank you.

Howard Dean also said in the primary that John Kerry was a major flip- flopper and criticized him, and frankly ridiculed him for that.

Let me ask this question. Because I know you're supporting John Kerry.

Here's a guy that supported gay marriage, now against it. Here's a guy that by my count has had six separate different unique positions on the war on Iraq.

Here's a guy that voted for the $87 billion to fund the war before we voted against it.

Here's a guy that was for the Patriot Act. Now against it. No Child Left Behind, for it, now against it.

Here's a guy that supported -- was against the death penalty for terrorists who kill Americans. Now he's for it.

The only thing he seems consistent on is that, throughout the 19 years he was in the Senate, he voted to raise taxes consistently 350 times.

What does that tell us about a man that has no core values or principals?

MEEKS: I see Sean, they must have sent you the Republican talking points, also.

HANNITY: No, no. No, no. Congressman, don't insult me. I looked at his record. He has no core.

MEEKS: Sean, we understand...

HANNITY: Answer the question.

MEEKS: ... you have the Republican talking points.

HANNITY: Sir, answer the question. What does it say about a man that won't -- that has no core?

MEEKS: Sean, Sean. We know it's the talking points.

HANNITY: Answer the question.

MEEKS: Let's talk the truth. Let's not go by the talking points. Let's talk the truth.

HANNITY: All right, Congressman, you can get your cheap shot in. But it doesn't -- You can duck the question, but the man doesn't have a core, and you don't want to deal with the fact that he has no core.

MEEKS: Sean -- Sean -- Sean, what happens is when you don't have anything to talk positively about yourself, when all you know to do is to talk negative. There's nothing to build up George Bush.

HANNITY: How does one change their position so often?

MEEKS: President Bush, you know, misled the American people, so that now we have...

HANNITY: What does that have to do about Kerry's voting record?

MEEKS: His voting record is being distorted by you right now.

HANNITY: I just told the truth.

MEEKS: When you talk about the $87 billion, what he did not want to do was give a free check. So therefore, there was a proposal that was on the floor beforehand that he voted form, saying that the responsible thing, that if George Bush would cut back for one year -- if he would cut back for one year, the tax cuts to those individuals...

HANNITY: Let me set the record -- John Kerry was asked...

MEEKS: I'm answering your question.

HANNITY: ... on "Face the Nation" if he would still vote for the $87 billion, and he said any senator that didn't vote for it is reckless and irresponsible.

MEEKS: You don't want to hear the truth, do you?

HANNITY: I told you the truth. You can't handle the truth.

MEEKS: John Kerry had a simple solution. One million dollars. Those American who make $1 million or more, cut their tax cuts for one year. The congressional budget office said that would equal $90 billion. That would pay for, and so that all Americans are sacrificing in this time of need.

COLMES: We've got to take a break. How about that fiscally responsible Democrat? Thanks very much, Congressman.

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